From burgers to baklava: eat the whole world in New Haven's best restaurants

• A taste of Elm City tradition
• Wooster Street classics
• Some Competition
• For parents/dates who'll pay
• Breakfast godsends
• For late-night munchies
• Vegetarian friendly
• New in the neighborhood
• Thai madness
• Let's get smashed
• For the sweet tooth

A taste of Elm City tradition

These eating establishments have been around forever and have become a ritual part of student life. You're not a true Yalie until you hit these joints:

Educated Burgher (51 Broadway, 777-9198) is known through the generations as a great place for burgers, milkshakes, french fries, and anything else fried that suits your fancy. Conveniently located along Broadway, it's an easy stop while doing errands, or if you have a craving for something a cut above McDonald's.

Louis' Lunch (263 Crown St., 562-5507) claims to have invented the hamburger as we know it. Make sure you don't ask for ketchup at this legendary spot, because they won't let you spoil their "creations" with processed tomato goop.

Naples Pizza (90 Wall St., 776-9021) is infamous for drawing crowds of raucous freshmen every Thursday night. It's known as much for its beer as its pizza. Carvings of past and present Yalies' initials on the big wooden tables and a jukebox full of cool tunes that span the ages make Naples a tradition. The pizza is greasy, the grinders are great, and the lunch menu is excellent.

Union League Café (1032 Chapel St., 562-4299) serves wonderful French food prepared by a native French chef. It's too expensive for the typical student budget, but it is still the place to go to celebrate a special occasion. It has an impressive wine list, and you can always catch nostalgic alumni reminiscing about old college days.

EWAN MACDOUGALL/YH

Yankee Doodle (250 Elm St., 865-1074), commonly referred to as The Doodle, is famous for its hamburger-eating contest—break the record of 28 and your name will go down in history (keeping the food down afterwards is not a requirement!). You can get a delicious burger for under two dollars, and the service is fast and friendly.

Yorkside Pizzeria & Restaurant (288 York St., 787-7471) is a social center with mid-priced pizza and a large Greek menu. The Greek salad with feta cheese is a favorite, the pasta is wonderful, and the garlic bread smothered in tomato sauce and mozzarella is the best way to start your meal. Yorkside's wall decor (old Yale football programs and team photos) is always fun to look at, and its late hours make it a popular place on weekdays and weekends alike.

Wooster Street classics

Wooster Street, about a 10-minute walk from campus, holds a special place in New Haven culinary lore. It is the site of the historic Italian district known for its superb restaurants, the most famous of which are Frank Pepe's Pizzeria (157 Wooster St., 865-5762) and Sally's Apizza (237 Wooster St., 624-5271). Pepe's is the birthplace of the brick-oven pizza, bearing the ultimate thin crust with special sauce and creative toppings. Though it may not sound like it, the clam pizza at both restaurants is one of the best foods ever invented. What you hear about these two places is not exaggerated: there's a reason that the lines outside are long and the people waiting in them have come from miles away. Others in the Wooster area that deserve a visit:

Abaté Apizza and Seafood (129 Wooster St., 776-4334) has good veal, chicken, steak, and seafood—along with excellent pizza that ranks only slightly below Sally's and Pepe's. This is a fine choice when the lines at the other Wooster restaurants are too long to tolerate. Abaté also delivers.

Alto Basso (232 Wooster St., 865-1109) offers excellent pastas and traditional Southern Italian fare, though prices are a bit expensive. Portions are large, and the atmosphere is pleasant—definitely worth the trip.

Consiglio's (165 Wooster St., 865-4489) is a place to try all your Italian favorites in a comfortable, airy atmosphere. It's been around for 50 years, and has definitely earned its good reputation.

Libby's (139 Wooster St., 772-0380) serves up exquisite Italian pastries and ices at cheap prices. Among their best treats is the cappuccino gelato. Be sure to stop by after a meal at Pepe's or Sally's.

The Spot (163 Wooster St., 865-7602) stands to the side of the original Pepe's. It is like a Pepe's annex, with shorter lines and less atmosphere, but—most importantly—the same pizza.

Tony and Lucille's (150 Wooster St., 787-1620) is known as the inventor of the calzone. With its red-checked tablecloths, it's a charming place to eat bottomless dishes of pasta and spicy pizza at decent prices.

Some Competition

Though Wooster wins the contest for the most celebrated pizza in town, other establishments have challenged the reign with their own brick ovens, winning points for convenient locations and shorter waits. The pizza parlors claiming converts:

Modern Apizza (874 State St., 776-5306) has loyal followers who consider its brick-oven pizza the best in New Haven. The toppings and crust are well-done, but Modern's secret weapon is delivery—it'll come until midnight, anywhere you want.

XandO(338 Elm St., 495-9869) used to be just a trendy coffee shop located behind Davenport college. Now it offers brick oven pizza, and word on the street is that the chef even used to work at Pepe's. The grilled chicken and broccoli pizza is a good choice, as are the salads and sandwiches. And where else can you have an iced mocha or any other coffee treat with your pizza?

For parents/dates who'll pay

With creative menus, tasteful décor, and delicious food, these restaurants provide what can be called the Ultimate Dining Experience. The price of an Ultimate Dining Experience, however, tends to exceed the normal student budget, making them perfect for those special occasions when your folks are in town or there's something to celebrate.

Bentara (76 Orange St., 562-2511) is a new and modern restaurant in the Ninth Square district of the city that serves Malaysian cuisine, which is like a combination of Indian and Chinese. The walk from main campus is bit farther than most area eateries, but this shouldn't discourage you from trekking down here to sample their fabulous stir fry.

Caffé Adulis (228 College St., 777-5081) Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine are perfect for a fun meal with friends or parents, or for an intimate evening out. Entrées are placed together atop a layer of sourdough pancakes on a platter in the middle of the table, making sharing easy.

Istanbul Café (245 Crown St., 787-3881) opened just recently and is the only restaurant in Connecticut for authentic Turkish fare. (To the uninitiated, it's a cross between Greek and Middle Eastern.) The appetizers are great, and you can recline on the embroidered couches and admire their belly-dancers while you eat.

Pika Tapas (39 High St., 865-1933) is a charming café with a great atmosphere and a variety of Spanish dishes. Since the portions are small, you can try several different dishes. Be prepared to be adventurous.

Samurai (230 College St., 562-6766), located across from the Shubert Theater, is a popular Japanese restaurant known especially for its fresh sushi. For something new, try some sake (hot Japanese rice wine) with your meal.

Scoozzi Trattoria (1104 Chapel St., 776-8268) offers fairly pricey contemporary Italian food in a modern setting. Reservations can be hard to come by; if you can make one, snag the spicy, warm garlic bread, and try the scrumptious tri-color tortellini. Sample the antipasto at the bar while you wait, but save room for the desserts.

Tibwin Grill (220 College St., 624-1883) is a contemporary bistro serving an eclectic variety of meat, fish, and pasta entrees. Its classy yet casual atmosphere and moderate prices usually win the favor of parents.

Breakfast godsends

On weekends, brunch in the dining halls closes at 1 p.m. You will learn soon enough that this is way too early. For those Sundays when you drag your hung-over self out of bed to discover that it's half-past two:

Bruegger's Bagels (1 Whitney Ave., 773-3199) has an impressive variety of bagels and spreads, including blueberry and sundried tomato bagels with good jalapeño and smoked-salmon cream cheeses. You can even watch the employees take the bagels out of the oven; they're especially tasty when they're still hot.

The Copper Kitchen (1008 Chapel St., 777-8010), located across from Old Campus, is a good, greasy diner. You can get cheap eggs, burgers, and milkshakes (you should be warned, however, that the wait staff is known as much for its body odor and chest hair as for its occasional efficiency.)

Patricia's (18 Whalley Ave., 787-4500) is a friendly dive located only one block from the back of Pierson and Davenport. It has $1.95 breakfast specials that can fill you up for the rest of the day.

Sweet Relief (99 Audubon St., 789-9800) specializes in wraps, soups, and salads, and has the best fruit smoothies in town. It is located right off Whitney Avenue and has outdoor seating and a comfortable people-watching atmosphere.

And now, to deal with those pesky midnight munchies...

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